Communications failure hampers efforts to restore MBTA service

Full transit service will not resume before Monday

A communications failure hampered the MBTA as it struggled to restore service, after the blizzard forced it to suspend service in advance of the storm.

Restoration of the bus, trolley and subway system would not take place before Monday, the MBTA said Sunday.

"A communications tower in Quincy is down, which makes train service impossible," said Richard Davey, Massachusetts Secretary of Transportation on Saturday. The tower is used to deliver instructions to the entire transit system.

On Saturday, Davey had said the transit agency hoped to resume some limited subway service Sunday.

But early Sunday morning, the T announced service remained suspended.

"The MBTA apologizes for any inconvenience this may cause. We ask for the public's patience and understanding as we combat the effects of this storm," the agency said in a press release.

The MBTA and commuter rail suspended service at 3:30 p.m. Friday.

The transit authority ran trains clearing the tracks during the storm, but clearing urban roads of snow was another obstacle to restoring service.